The effect of thyroid hormones in psoriasis vulgaris.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Certain endocrinological disturbances are assumed to exacerbate psoriasis. In this study we compared the serum thyroid hormone levels of a group of psoriasis patients with that of a control group. METHODS The total T3 (TT3), free T3 (FT3), total T4 (TT4), free T4 (FT4) and TSH levels obtained from the sera of 103 psoriatics (37 males and 66 females) and 96 controls (40 male and 56 female) were measured by immunological assay. RESULTS Statistical assessments displayed no differences in TT3, FT4 and TSH serum levels for the two groups. Differences between the means of serum TT4 (P=0.033) and serum FT3 (P=0.041) levels showed statistical differences among the groups. We also found that at least one thyroid hormone level in the blood was increased in 23 patients of the psoriatic group compared to 9 patients in the control group (P=0.022). The average Psoriasis Area and Severity Index scores in this patient group were significantly higher than in those with normal hormone levels (P< 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The role of thyroid hormones in the etiopathogenesis of psoriasis and the effects of such differences in psoriatic patients must be investigated with wider and comprehensive laboratory and clinical studies.